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Herb Rich

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Herb Rich
Born:(1928-10-07)October 7, 1928
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died:March 28, 2008(2008-03-28) (aged 79)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)Safety
CollegeVanderbilt
NFL draft1950, round: 6, pick: 67
Redrafted 1951, 2nd round, 24th overall after termination of Colts franchise.
Career history
As player
1950Baltimore Colts
1951–1953Los Angeles Rams
1954–1956New York Giants
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

Richard Herbert Rich (October 7, 1928 – March 28, 2008) was an All-Pro American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants.[1]

Early and personal life

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Rich was born in Newark, New Jersey, and was Jewish.[2][3] He graduated from Miami Beach High School in Florida.[3]

He was married to the former Carla Blocker, and they had a son, Jonathan, and two daughters, Terry and Tracey.[3] The family lived in Nashville, Tennessee.[4]

College

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He played college football at Vanderbilt University, as well as basketball and baseball, and was president of his class.[5][3] In football, he earned All-SEC honors at tailback, rushing for 1,282 yards during the 1948–49 seasons.[3]

Professional career

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Rich was drafted in the sixth round of the 1950 NFL draft, and played defensive back and returned punts during his career.[3] In his rookie season he averaged 23 yards on 12 punt returns, an NFL record that stood for over 50 years.[3][6][7][8] He was a two-time All-Pro defensive back.[3]

In 65 career games, he had 29 career interceptions, including three for touchdowns.[3] In 1992, he was elected to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Rich also became Vanderbilt's seventh "SEC Football Legend".[3]

After football

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Rich was a 1954 graduate of Vanderbilt Law School.[3] After his football career ended, Rich was an attorney in Nashville.[5] He was president of the Nashville Jewish Community Center in 1971–72, and was a board member of Temple Ohabai Sholom in Nashville.[3]

Rich died at 79 years of age in 2008.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Herb Rich, former NFL star, dies at 79". Nfl.com. November 18, 2008. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  2. ^ Wechsler, Bob (2008). Day by day in Jewish sports history. ISBN 9781602800137. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Vanderbilt Official Athletic Site - Vanderbilt University". Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  4. ^ Herb Rich, NFL star, lawyer – The Mercury News
  5. ^ a b c Dorman, Lee (2010). Nashville's Jewish Community. ISBN 9780738566801. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  6. ^ Patterson, Ted (2000). Football in Baltimore: history and memorabilia. ISBN 9780801864247. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  7. ^ Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!: A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football. Rodale. 2005. ISBN 9781594861635. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  8. ^ NFL Football Top 10. DK Pub. 2002. ISBN 9780789488411. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
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